Military Bowl 2018: Cincinnati vs. Va Tech TV Schedule, Time and Odds
One of the college football programs you should have paid more attention to in the regular season takes on a traditional power at the start of the New Year's Eve bowl schedule.
Cincinnati played second fiddle to UCF and other more explosive teams in The American, but the Bearcats earned their spot in the Military Bowl after putting together a 10-win season.
Conversely, the Virginia Tech Hokies struggled to become bowl-eligible, as they needed a December 1 win over Marshall to reach six victories.
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A Bearcats win would be a nice boost to The American, as the conference holds a 1-4 bowl record, while Virginia Tech attempts to bolster the ACC's successful 5-2 bowl campaign.
Military Bowl Information
Date: Monday, December 31
Time: Noon ET
TV: ESPN
Odds (via OddsShark): Cincinnati -6; Over/Under: 53.5
Preview
The Military Bowl will be won on the ground.
Cincinnati possesses a one-two punch in quarterback Desmond Ridder and running back Michael Warren that would threaten any defense.
Given how poorly Virginia Tech's defends the run, the Bearcats should be the aggressor over four quarters.
On his way to rushing for 1,163 yards, Warren hit triple digits on six occasions, including a 151-yard outburst against South Florida on November 10.
Ridder, a freshman, added 563 rushing yards to the 2,359 yards he gained through the air, and if the Bearcats develop a rhythm on the ground, he can strike in the passing game through play-action or run-pass option plays.
Virginia Tech ranks 105th in the FBS in rushing defense, as it's given up 29 touchdowns and 5.3 yards per carry to go along with the 206.5 yards per game its opponents earned on the ground.
Even though Justin Fuente's team won its past two games to reach .500, it still struggled with stopping the run, as it gave up 164 yards to Virginia and 232 yards to a Marshall team that only scored 20 points.
The second layer of the Virginia Tech defense will be the key to the game for the Hokies, and if Rayshard Ashby and Dax Hollifield prevent the Bearcats from trampling through their defense, the third-place team in the ACC Coastal stands a chance.
But even if they stop Cincinnati's progress on the ground, the Hokies aren't guaranteed to silence their opponent from The American, as they rank 61st in passing defense and concede 7.7 yards per catch.
Throughout his first year under center, Ridder's proved he can beat teams with his arm, with his latest impressive passing performance coming against East Carolina toward the end of November, when he threw for 335 yards and four touchdowns.
Ridder's also been efficient in the passing game, throwing just five interceptions, with the most recent one coming October 27 against SMU.
Although plenty of factors aren't going in Virginia Tech's favor, the Hokies do have some confidence from winning two straight games, and quarterback Ryan Willis is coming off a 312-yard outing with four touchdowns against Marshall.
Willis' confidence-building play in the win over Marshall is huge for the Hokies, as he threw a pair of interceptions in the two prior games.
The path to a Virginia Tech victory includes a successful game out of Willis and running back Steven Peoples providing balance to the offense.
However, gaining ground against the Cincinnati defense will be a difficult task for the Hokies since the Bearcats are in possession of the seventh-best defensive unit in the FBS.
If Cincinnati imposes its will on defense, which it very well could do, we could be in for a blowout in Annapolis, Maryland.
Prediction
Cincinnati 31, Virginia Tech 14
Cincinnati's two-pronged rushing attack and tenacious defense will be too much for Virginia Tech to handle.
If you are going to put a wager on the Military Bowl, it would be wise to take the Bearcats outright, but the under may be the best pick.
With Virginia Tech experiencing difficulties against Cincinnati's defense, we can only rely on Luke Fickell's team to light up the scoreboard.
Maybe the Hokies come alive in the second half to help out the over bet, but don't bank on it.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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